CONTEXT Small towns across the United States struggle to maintain an adequate primary care workforce. PURPOSE To examine factors contributing to physician satisfaction and retention in largely rural areas in Massachusetts, a state with rural pockets and small towns. METHODS A survey mailed in 2004-2005 to primary care physicians, practicing in areas designated by the state as rural, queried...

This paper critically assesses wireless broadband internet infrastructure, in the rural and remote communities of WDR in terms of supply, demand and utilisation. Only 8 of 20 towns have ADSL/ADSL2+, and only 3 towns have 4G mobile network coverage. Conversely all of the towns have 2G/3G mobile network coverage but have problems with speed, reliability of service and capacity to handle data traf...

The comparative analysis of solid waste management between rural and urban Ghana is largely lacking. This study investigated the solid waste situation and the organisation of solid waste management in both urban and rural settings from the perspective of households. The study employed cross-sectional survey covering both rural and urban districts in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions of Ghan...

Prior RUPRI Center policy briefs have described the role of rural pharmacies in providing many essential clinical services (in addition to prescription and nonprescription medications), such as blood pressure monitoring, immunizations, and diabetes counseling, and the adverse effects of Medicare Part D negotiated networks on the financial viability of rural pharmacies.1 Because rural pharmacies...

Among the challenges for rural communities and health services in Australia, climate change and increasing extreme heat are emerging as additional stressors. Effective public health responses to extreme heat require an understanding of the impact on health and well-being, and the risk or protective factors within communities. This study draws on lived experiences to explore these issues in elev...

Fly-in/Fly-out models of health care for rural-remote communities are currently the focus of evaluation and debate, as the health inequalities of rural and remote communities continue to challenge both health service providers and healthcare consumers. At first glance, these models of health care may attract new graduate nurses transitioning to practice, because they appear to resolve some of t...

Objective: Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, renal failure, and heart failure globally. This trend of complications has been seen even among our rural and urban dwellers in the tropics. This study aims at determining the prevalence and pattern of hypertension and body mass index (BMI) in six rural communities in Southern Nigeria.Methods: Adult participants, aged 18-80 years ...

INTRODUCTION There is an ongoing shortage of rural healthcare providers relative to urban healthcare providers worldwide. Many strategies have been implemented to increase the distribution of rural healthcare providers, and financial incentives such as loan repayment programs have become popular means to both recruit and retain healthcare providers in rural communities. Studies detailing the ef...

BACKGROUND In Nigeria, the shortage of health workers is worst at the primary health care (PHC) level, especially in rural communities. And the responsibility for PHC - usually the only form of formal health service available in rural communities - is shared among the three tiers of government (federal, state, and local governments). In addition, the responsibility for community engagement in P...